The international brand expansion map includes Timisoara for the first time, which only has one such hotel, despite being one of the top cities of the country in terms of economy. Moreover, it attracts more than 300,000 Romanian and foreign tourists a year. In comparison, Bucharest, which attracted more than 2 million tourists last year, has almost 30 international brand hotels.
The international hotel affiliation rate is less than 5% in Romania, about 55 hotels of the more than 1,500, according to National Statistics Institute data.
Ramada, a brand of the US chain Wyndham is the international brand with most hotels in Romania, about 12 and a total of over 1,900 rooms, according to the data provided by hotel advisory firm Fivestar Hospitality.
Second largest is Orbis, which has ten hotels branded as ibis, ibis Styles, Novotel, Pullman and Mercure and will open more in the country. Third ranks Hilton, with nine hotels under various brands such as Athenee Palace, Double Tree, Hampton by Hilton and Hilton, according to the latest data available.
The largest local hotel company is Bucuresti Turism, the operator of the Radisson Blu complex with 718 rooms on Calea Victoriei in Bucharest.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)